New Update In Rust Investigation Sparks More Questions About Alec Baldwin's Cooperation
Alec Baldwin is in the hot seat with the law. The embattled "Rust" actor, who has been under fire since the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has been ardently defending himself since the crew member's tragic death. To recall, the incident occurred in October 2021 when Baldwin discharged a prop gun on set — inadvertently causing the death of Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
It still remains a mystery as to how a live bullet ended up in the prop gun, though fingers have been pointed at the film's on-set armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, alongside Baldwin. Furthermore, in an interview with ABC News, Baldwin claims to have never pulled the trigger — stating that he "let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off." He added, "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never. Never. That was the training that I had."
Since the incident, Alec Baldwin has claimed that he's "fully cooperating" with police — though the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has taken issue with the actor's claims.
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office says Alec Baldwin has not handed in his cell phone
On December 16, 2021, a search warrant for Alec Baldwin's cell phone was approved and executed, per The Hollywood Reporter. The search warrant came just two months after the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died when the actor discharged a prop gun on set.
On January 12, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office announced that the actor has still yet to hand over the phone — leading them to rope in the district attorney's office. The report comes just days after Baldwin proclaimed on Instagram, "Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone, that's b******t. That's a lie." Speaking to the New York Post, former prosecutor for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office Kevin Kearon theorized why Baldwin hasn't handed over the phone. "There could be incriminating evidence on the phone," he said, "or it might be for privacy reasons."
Shortly after the sheriff's announcement, Baldwin's lawyer told Forbes that his client would hand over his phone "this week" after "finalizing logistics." Fans on Twitter remain split on whether Baldwin is responsible for the shooting. "Alec Baldwin Won't Hand His Phone Over Cause Well....He Didn't do anything??" wrote one user. "He pulled the bleeping trigger without confirming it was unloaded," wrote another. "How are they still ignoring that??"